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Patricia Paradise
She is the central character of
the story, appearing practically in every scene. PARADISE is essentially
an epic, covering Patricia's entire life, from a seven-year-old
to her eighties. We experience her retiring from show business,
giving up her singing in order to get a family life in 'Shangri-La'.
The movie depicts the contrast of a sexy singer to a mature mother,
from a near-to-death woman in the dunes of Death Valley to a happy
inhabitant of a desert oasis and from a woman facing the Mafia to
one seeing her guarding angel.
Dee Wallace Stone
This terrific actress is
best known for her work in "E.T" (by Steven Spielberg),
"10" (by Blake Edwards), and "The Frighteners"
(by Peter Jackson) as well as about 100 other parts. For
PARADISE, she is a perfect fit as the All-American girl.
Her incredible talent is show cased in this demanding part,
arguably as never before. Ms. Stone undergoes all kind of
actors' expression within the complex drama of PARADISE.
Her Internet Movie Database
entry:
http://us.imdb.com/Name?Wallace-Stone,+Dee
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Francis
Hiller
As Patricia's husband, he has always
stood in her shadow. Having aimed to realize his own dream of
a big time Vegas-casino and hotel, he gets into the dirty hands
of the Mafia through his half-sister
Katherine. Shielding his wife from his financial troubles, he increasingly
gets romantically involved with the possessive Katherine. His life
seems to be at a dead end, so he decides to let go his past life
and join Patricia's dream of a family-life in 'Shangri-La'. As he
is apparently stricken by a heart attack, Patricia believes that
he was just faking his death in order to start a new life with her.
Douglas
He is a look-a-like of a younger
and energetic Francis. Patricia meets him in the desert and believes
that she has found her vanished husband. But instead of being ready
for a peaceful life in 'Shangri-La', he reverts all his promises
and aims to bring Patricia back to Las Vegas. Realizes the deception
provokes a fight, and he leaves her all by herself in the middle
of Death Valley, where he himself will end up after his car broke
down.
Henry
He is a look-a-like of an older
and mature Francis and quite the opposite character wise of the
nagging Douglas. Calm and sensible, he has realized his dream of
an unique 'Shangri-La', far away from civilization, in Death Valley.
There he lives contently with his father, Henry Senior. As Patricia
appears, his life makes quite a turn as she fulfils his long lost
desire of a son.
Patricia's Father
He looks like Patricia's future
husband Francis. Loosing him at the young age of seven, she became
an orphan. Meeting later Francis waked in her the fatherly feelings
she hasn't had for long.
Alan (40 yrs)
At 40, Patricia’s son Alan
becomes another version of Francis. But is the senile Patricia realizing
the fact that her estranged son asks her for forgiveness?
Timothy Bottoms
Character actor Mr. Bottoms
has shown his incredible talent as the perfect impersonator
of US-President George W. Bush in several TV films. Started,
of course, he has as a youngster in "The Last Picture
Show" (by Peter Bogdanovich) and "Johnny Got His
Gun" (by Dalton Trumbo). He as well was the lead in
big-budget epos such as "Hurricane" (by Jan Troell)
and "Rollercoaster" (by James Goldstone).
In PARADISE, Mr. Bottoms plays no less than five different
parts! He regards this film as his comeback, as lately there
haven't been made much use of his gifts as a very versatile
actor.
His Internet Movie Database entry:
http://us.imdb.com/Name?Bottoms,+Timothy
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Katherine
Hiller
This spider-woman is Patricia's
discoverer and manager. She became her sister-in-law after the
marriage of Patricia and her half-brother Francis. Like him, Katherine
is a real Las Vegas-person.
As a lawyer, she has been able to launch Patricia's phenomenal success.
Sinister and greedy, she is as well responsible for Patricia's increasing
unhappiness within the commercial show business industry. As an
arm of the Vegas-Mafia, she can't allow to end this profitable money
machine, pressing Patricia to go on forever, therefore not respecting
her client's private plans.
Barbara Carrera
Ms. Carrera is best known
for her sexy role as Fatima Blush in Sean Connery's 007-comeback
film "Never Say Never Again" (by Irvin Kershner).
And in "Wicked Stepmother", she played alongside
Bette Davis' very last film. For long, Ms. Carrera was well
fitted playing sexy villainies, such as Patricia's counterpart
Katherine. Her beauty, combined with her Latin temperament,
gives the first act of PARADISE the desired weight in order
to make Patricia escape from superficial Las Vegas.
Her Internet Movie Database
entry:
http://us.imdb.com/Name?Carrera,+Barbara
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Simon
He is Patricia's imaginary Grandfather
she never had. This angel came into her life after the tragic death
of Patricia’s father. Since then, Simon helps her over obstacles,
giving her strength and eventually guides her towards her life-goal,
her eternal 'Shangri-La'.
Henry Senior
He is the father of Henry though
looks like an earthy version of Simon, therefore completing Patricia's
family as he is not only the Grandfather she never had but as well
the Grandfather of her real son. Henry Senior lives a content life.
But still, his task of not finding this ‘something special’
in Death Valley nags at him.
Mickey Rooney
Mr. Rooney is THE living
Hollywood-legend! He is one of the most awarded actors of
all time, being in 1939 the worlds top box-office draw!
He worked at the stage from childhood on, playing alongside
Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor and Audrey
Hepburn. And his off stage life is almost as famous: Married
eight times, among them to Ava Gardner. Having something
like 300 films to his credit, Mr. Rooney (apparently) never
had done a dual-part before PARADISE. Here, he plays the
guitar in a self-composed song ("Family") as Henry
Sr., but more significantly, his other role as the earthy
angel Simon marks a presence, which is difficult to achieve.
His Internet Movie Database entry:
http://us.imdb.com/Name?Rooney,+Mickey
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Maria
The maid Maria is the good-hearted
soul of Patricia's Las Vegas home. To her, Patricia may confide
her realistic desire for a family-life in 'Shangri-La'. She is the
counterpart to the menace Katherine.
Theresa Saldana
Ms. Saldana played significant
parts in such classics as "Raging Bull" (by Martin
Scorsese) and "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" (by Robert
Zemeckis). On the small screen, she is best known in "The
Commish". Off-screen however, she made headlines after
surviving a nearly fatal knife attack by a deranged admirer.
The issue that Patricia is giving up her life within the
endless desert, seeing the death, but then is re-awakened
by her guardian angel promising her a worthy life, made
Ms. Saldana commit to the relatively small role of the maid.
Her Internet Movie Database
entry:
http://us.imdb.com/Name?Saldana,+Theresa
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Alan
Patricia's rebellious son is haunted
by the feeling that calm Henry isn't his real father. His entire
personality indeed is rather similar to the one of Douglas, as they
both like the fast paced and
superficial life of Las Vegas than the one of the quite Death Valley.
His hangout place is the wreck of
a big car, which turns out to be Douglas grave. At the end, a mature
40 year old Alan asks his aged
mother for forgiveness.
Kristian Horn
Mr. Horn is a very talented
newcomer in Hollywood. PARADISE marks his first important
role within this experienced ensemble cast. The filmmakers
are very happy of how Mr. Horn expresses the underlying
feelings of Alan (18 yrs). Timothy Bottoms continued Mr.
Horn’s part and played the 40 yrs old grown up Alan.
His Internet Movie Database entry:
http://us.imdb.com/Name?Horn,+Kristian+Hans
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Taxi Driver
He is the catalyst of bringing Patricia
from one world, Las Vegas, to her new one, the desert. First,
this menace and crazy character is a devoted PP-fan, but then pops
up to loose the respect towards the real person. Caged inside his
taxi, this character shows how dull the everyday life in Las Vegas
truly is.
Martin Kove
Action star Mr. Kove, best
known from the "Karate Kid"-Trilogy and "Rambo
II", is the though guy of our cast. His strong presence
arches from a typical dull Las Vegas taxi driver to an aggressive
macho. Mr. Kove's ability to put some humor in this small
part makes his scenes very enjoyable.
His Internet Movie Database entry:
http://us.imdb.com/Name?Kove,+Martin
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Nurse
Engaged by Katherine, the Nurse
is sinister incarnate, keeping Patricia constantly drugged after
the alleged death of Francis.
Lilyan Chauvin
The Lady of our cast, Ms.
Chauvin, of French origins, has been working for decades
in high profile films. No wonder that she is busier than
most of the Hollywood stars. Her latest offerings have been
"Catch Me If You Can" (by Steven Spielberg) and
the "The Man Who Wasn't There" (by the Coen Brothers).
PARADISE is proud to have this veteran supporting actress
playing the part of Patricia's nurse.
His Internet Movie Database entry:
http://us.imdb.com/Name?Chauvin,+Lilyan
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